


I get to love you (It's the best thing that I'll ever do)

by shedrinksthewildair



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Domestic Fluff, Dorks in Love, F/F, Feels, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-21 19:32:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9563318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shedrinksthewildair/pseuds/shedrinksthewildair
Summary: Or: Five times Maggie showed Alex she loved her, and one time she told her.





	1. Strive

**Author's Note:**

> 6 connected chapters in chronological order, covering a period of around 6 months. 
> 
> Will be updating regularly every few days until complete :)
> 
>  
> 
> Title from this beautiful song: [X](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMgzldfzVjQ)

As Alex walked down the hallway toward Kara’s apartment, Maggie by her side, she was beginning to wonder if this was the best idea. She kept stealing glances at the shorter woman beside her, who appeared to be doing her level best to act normal. It wasn’t working.

They came to a stop outside the door and Alex turned and simply looked at Maggie with a raised eyebrow.

“What?” Maggie questioned, tugging at the ends of her jacket in an involuntary nervous gesture.

“Mags. We don’t have to do this right now if you’re not ready.”

Maggie looked alarmed. “What? No! I’m fine, Danvers. Really.”

“Maggie, I can tell you’re nervous. I promise I won’t be upset if you don’t want to do this today.” She reached out and gently squeezed Maggie’s hands.

“No, we’re doing this now. Yeah, I’m a little nervous, but I think that’s normal. Besides, it’s bound to happen at some point so we might as well get it over with.” Her mouth was set in a firm line and she nodded her head once, as if convincing herself.

Alex bit her lip to stifle a smile at her dramatic girlfriend. “Babe, you make it sound like we’re about to walk the plank, not have game night with our friends.”

“ _Your_ friends.”

“Hey, Kara’s your friend already, and the rest will be too, after tonight. It will be fine, I promise. So, you in?”

Maggie still looked a little wary, but she nodded and pulled herself together, taking her hands back from Alex to run them once more over her outfit, then through her hair, before knocking solidly on the door.

********

Two hours later and Alex and Kara were muffling giggles into their hands as a riled-up Maggie argued playfully with Winn over some shooter video game Alex had never heard of.

“Really Mags, and you call me a nerd,” Alex teased when she could finally get a word in.

Maggie laughed and slapped her thigh lightly, leaning back into her on the couch from where she had instinctively sat forward during her animated discussion with the tech genius.

Alex wrapped her arm around her and kissed her temple adoringly. She was incredibly happy in this moment. She never thought she’d get to have this. A girlfriend who she felt so many wonderful things for, sharing her space, spending time with her sister and friends, all getting along and enjoying themselves. The night had somehow made her feel not only closer to Maggie, but also to the others who had been so welcoming to her.

At first Maggie had been tentative and a little uncomfortable, but soon she warmed back up to her usual charming self. She enthusiastically talked to James about his efforts as Guardian and about her police work; she had already won Kara over, but she became favored in her books after offering up her leftover potstickers; and she had been bantering back and forth with Winn about video games and movies for the better part of half an hour.

Add to that her prowess at charades and the Superfriends were sold.

It felt good, Alex decided, letting her fingers trail through the ends of Maggie’s silky hair. It felt good to let her girlfriend into this part of her life, to connect a bunch of people she loved most in the world. Alex startled as that thought hit her; it was far too early to be thinking that way about Maggie.

She was probably just on a high from all the good vibes in the room, she concluded, burying that train of thought for now.

********

Later that night, they were in her bed, Alex’s head resting on Maggie’s chest. Maggie was playing with her hair with one hand and scrolling through her phone with the other.

Alex had been running through the night in her mind, and had decided she needed to find out a bit more about why Maggie had been so hesitant earlier.

“Maggie?”

“Yeah babe?”

“How come you were so anxious about meeting up with everyone tonight? What did you think was going to happen?”

Maggie sighed and set down her phone to give her her full attention. Alex propped her chin up on one hand to do the same.

“I don’t know...I guess I don’t always make the best first impressions.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, like our first meeting, for example. I know I can come off a little harsh or stand-offish.”

Alex laughed. “But those were totally different circumstances; you were intruding on my crime scene.”

Maggie scoffed and pinched her side playfully. “You mean you were intruding on mine, Danvers. And yeah, I know that was different, but I can still come across hard or uninterested, or I say the wrong thing, or I’m just awkward and they can tell. Plus, I’m usually more of a one-on-one person.”

“Maggie, you should’ve told me if you didn’t want to hang out with them all at once, we could have done separate days.”

“No, Alex. I wanted to go. I was scared to fuck it up, but I wanted to go,” she said sincerely, looking directly into her eyes.

“What do you mean, how could you fuck it up?” Alex frowned.

“Well, like I said, I don’t always make the greatest first impressions. A lot of the…a lot of the girls I used to date would break things off with me after seeing me around their friends.” Maggie swallowed thickly, looking down at her hand plucking at the sheet.

Alex was getting more and more concerned with the direction of this conversation.

“And you were worried I would do the same?” she whispered.

Maggie gave a little half quirk of her lips as confirmation, still not making eye contact.

Alex sighed and sat up, swinging one leg over Maggie’s lap to straddle her. Maggie looked up in surprise, automatically reaching out to grasp Alex’s hips.

Alex gently placed her hands on either side of Maggie’s face, stroking over her cheekbones. She needed her to hear this.

“Maggie, I knew my friends would love you. And if they didn’t right away, it would only be because they hadn’t got a chance to see all of you yet - how wonderful you are. And if they couldn’t see that yet, then I’d wait until they did see it. I’m not giving up on you, Sawyer.”

Maggie’s eyes looked a little watery.

Alex continued, “But honestly? I wasn’t worried at all. I was so happy and proud to have you there with me.”

“You were?” Maggie asked softly.

Alex dropped her hands to Maggie’s and linked their fingers. “Yeah, I was. You mean so much to me and to get to share you with the other important people in my life, it means a lot. And I love how you tried so hard for me, even if you were scared or it isn’t usually your thing.”

Maggie smiled slightly and lifted their hands to place a kiss on the back of Alex’s. “Of course, Alex. You mean so much to me too; I’ll always try for you. I’m not giving up either.”

Alex leaned forward and kissed her soft and slow and deep. It was a kiss that conveyed not only attraction and desire, but also the warmth of connection and growth.  

It was a kiss that sealed the promises they had made to each other without using the exact words:

_I’m here to stay. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll never throw you away. I’m all in._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, hope you enjoyed! I welcome any (constructive) feedback or thoughts :) 
> 
> This is my first ever fanfic, and I'm just getting back into the swing of writing again. Next chapter will be up soon! It's called 'Special'.
> 
> Find me on tumblr at [shedrinksthewildair](http://shedrinksthewildair.tumblr.com) and on twitter [@drinkswildair](http://twitter.com/drinkswildair) \- I'd love to talk to you! ♥


	2. Special

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your response to the first chapter! I really hope you like what I have planned :)
> 
> Also, let me know if I miss any Australian (British) spelling/word choices. I try to pick them up in editing but you never know.
> 
> Enjoy!

Alex rushed down the street, beanie tugged down around her ears and scarf over her mouth, desperate to make it inside her favorite coffee shop and out of the freezing winter air. Also, desperate to hurry home to her girlfriend. The coffee machine at her apartment had broken and Alex needed her daily fix. Maggie had been reluctant to let her go, wrapped around her like a cuddly koala, and only acquiesced with the promise of bringing back her favorite blueberry muffins. The thought of Maggie’s state of dress, or rather undress, when she had left caused a flush to warm Alex’s icy cheeks.

Suddenly she ran smack-dab into a solid mass, pulling her out of her pleasant daydream. Looking around, she realised she was outside the coffee shop and had run into someone - a cop, she noted by the NCPD insignia on his back.

“Sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going,” she said, pulling the scarf down away from her mouth.

The officer turned around. “Don’t worry – oh hey! Danvers!” he said with a bright, beaming smile.

Alex smiled back as she recognized him as one of Maggie’s friends and workmates at the station. 

“Andy! Hey, heading into work?”

“Yup! Right after I buy me the largest coffee they have in this place. It was the only thing that got me out of bed in this weather.”

She grinned. “I know the feeling.”

Heading inside, they joined the unsurprisingly long line.

“So how are you?” she asked. “And Sasha?”

“Good, really good. We’ll have to have you guys over again soon.”

“We’d like that,” she said happily, thinking about how amazing it was to be part of a ‘we’.

“I don’t even have to ask how you and Sawyer are,” he said with a cheeky smirk.

She raised an eyebrow. “Why not?”

“Well for one thing, that whole face you’ve got going on right there,” he teased, gesturing to her pink cheeks and large smile.

“Oh shut up.” She laughed, smacking him playfully on the shoulder.

He rubbed the spot with a mock-pout before his smile broke through again. “But the main reason,” he continued, “is that I’ve seen less of Sawyer in these past few months than I have in the entire five years that we’ve worked together. And I’m pretty sure it’s not because she took up line dancing,” he said with a wink.

Alex giggled – her girlfriend _was_ a pretty terrible dancer. Then his words caught up to her. “Wait, really? She hasn’t been working as much as she used to?”

“Nope,” he said, popping the ‘p’, “but that’s a good thing honestly – the chief was always telling her she needed to take some time off, but she never did. Not until she met you.”

Alex blushed even harder than she had before, ducking her head with a small smile. She didn’t know what to think. She knew Maggie had had many relationships – however brief - before they got together, and the fact that none of the other women had been incentive enough for Maggie to spend much time outside her work – her job which meant so much to her, well. It was overwhelming.

“You obviously mean a lot to her, Danvers. Don’t fuck it up.” His tone was friendly, but there was a hint of seriousness to his eyes - protectiveness. She was glad that Maggie had someone else to look out for her.

“I won’t,” she said firmly. And she’d never been more determined to keep her word.

********

When she got back to the apartment, Maggie was standing at the stove, dressed in sweat pants, one of Alex’s oversized sweaters, and fuzzy socks. Her hair was bundled in a messy bun atop her head, a few loose waves free around her face. “Hey babe,” she greeted over her shoulder before turning back to the eggs.

“Hey,” she replied, setting the drinks and muffins on the counter, simply staring at this perfect woman cooking breakfast, relaxed and at home in her apartment, in her clothes. She’d spent the whole walk back mulling over what Andy had revealed. Maggie wanted to spend time with her; Maggie enjoyed spending time with her maybe even more than she enjoyed her job, and she _loved_ her job; Maggie thought Alex was important enough to prioritize; Maggie thought Alex was special.

She needed to be close to her. Alex quickly made her way across the kitchen and draped herself over Maggie from behind, squeezing tight and burying her face in her neck.

Maggie chuckled, covering Alex’s hands with one of her own. “Miss me?” she teased.

Alex kissed the side of her neck tenderly and said in all seriousness, “Yes.”

Maggie breathed in deeply and reached out to turn the stove off. She turned in Alex’s arms and looked up to her with sparkling eyes. Alex cradled her face in both hands and stroked her thumbs over the dimples as they appeared.

From then on no more words were exchanged as they met in a fervent kiss and the rest of the morning was swallowed up in moans and sighs and whimpers, in ragged breathing and heated skin pressing against skin.

The coffee may have gone cold, but Alex had never in her life felt so warm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, hope you liked it! I'd love to hear what you thought :)
> 
> Next chapter will be up soon, it's called 'Fear'. 
> 
> Find me on tumblr at [shedrinksthewildair](http://shedrinksthewildair.tumblr.com) and on twitter [@drinkswildair](http://twitter.com/drinkswildair) \- I'd love to talk to you! ♥


	3. Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi lovelies :) This is a bit of a longer chapter. (And pretty timely given what some of us hoped for in 2x11) 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Alex was way past done with being kidnapped.

Thankfully, to her knowledge they were currently en route to the DEO. She hoped they would arrive soon, but couldn’t tell how far off they were, what with being tied up in the back of a truck and disoriented due to a frankly unnecessary hessian bag shoved over her head.

The mission had gone sideways pretty much from the moment Alex and her small team had arrived at the pick-up location two days ago. What was supposed to be a fairly routine capture of a rogue alien led to them being caught off-guard and completely outnumbered. Throw in the addition of advanced alien tech, and they never really stood a chance.

Held hostage for two days in a dark room underground, they were finally being released after the DEO made a deal for their safe return. Alex would be having words with J’onn later about just what he had given up for them. Some things were more important than a few agents. But for now she was relieved to be out of that room, and anxious to see Maggie and Kara and the others.

She perked up as she noticed the truck was slowing down. It ground to a halt and Alex and her team were untied and pushed roughly out the back. When Alex’s eyes adjusted to the bright light, she realized they were outside the DEO. As the truck sped off behind her, she began following the others toward the entrance, breath fogging in the chilly air, scanning desperately for any sign of a familiar blonde or brunette.

Finally she heard a screech. “Alex!” She looked up to see Kara flying over the security barriers and heading straight for her.

She smiled in relief and opened her arms, bracing for impact. She was thankful she did as the superhero smacked into her with the force of a bullet train, lifting her up into her arms as if she weighed nothing, and hovering in the sky.

“Alex! Oh my God, Alex, I was so worried! Are you okay? Are you hurt?” Alex looked over her sister’s face, prominent crinkle set firmly between her eyes.

“Well, a little now after that impact,” she joked, rubbing her chest.

“Oh! Sorry, I just couldn’t wait any longer to make sure you were okay. Alex you scared us all so badly, we’ve been worried sick.”

Alex was regretful. “I’m sorry; we were totally unprepared for what we found in that building. But don’t worry, we’re all okay now. We’ve dealt with much worse.”

“Did they hurt you?” Kara asked, holding Alex at arm’s length and scanning over her body for signs of injury.

Alex gasped and clutched at Kara’s elbows, “No! And I would really like to be on solid ground now, please.”

Kara suddenly seemed to realize they were still mid-air. She smiled sheepishly and was about to speak when another voice sounded below them, making Alex’s heart jump.

“Alex! Kara Danvers, you put her down _right_ now.” Alex had never heard Maggie sound so agitated. She looked down and saw her sprinting across the lot toward them. Alex needed to have her in her arms immediately.

Kara grimaced and whispered so only Alex could hear, “She’s been so worried, Alex. Be gentle.” Then she called down to Maggie, “One delivery for Detective Sawyer coming right up!” She carefully lowered Alex down to her girlfriend. Maggie didn’t even wait until Alex’s feet touched the ground before she was tugging at her legs and waist and pulling her down into a desperate embrace, gripping tighter than she ever had before.

Alex squeezed back, tears springing to her eyes unbidden as she was suddenly overwhelmed with how much she had missed her. But after a while a tightness in her chest alerted her to the fact that she was still being held off the ground, albeit only a few inches, by her very human, very tiny, very strong girlfriend.

“Mags, can you put me down for a sec, kinda need to breathe,” she wheezed, trying to lighten the situation.

Maggie gasped and set her down immediately with an apology, holding her arms and stepping back to search her body and face. Meanwhile, Alex was granted a chance to perform her own inspection of Maggie, and she didn’t like what she found. Maggie’s hair was an unbrushed mess, her tired eyes were red-rimmed and wet, and Alex could make out dry tear tracks on her cheeks.

“Baby,” she whispered sadly, reaching out to brush a slightly greasy strand of hair behind Maggie’s ear. “Are you okay?”

Maggie scoffed and chuckled humorlessly in disbelief. “Alex, you were the one kidnapped, _I’m_ supposed to be asking _you_ that.”

Alex pulled her back in for a firm hug. “I’m okay, babe. Are you?”

Maggie pressed closer to her, heaving a deep sigh into her neck, as if she had only just accepted that Alex was alive, was back here safe and in her arms.

“We’ll both be okay,” Maggie replied quietly. It sounded as if she was trying to convince herself.

********

Later- after Alex had been given a full check-up in the DEO med lab, received the all-clear, and shared her account of her time as a prisoner - she was getting changed into a set of spare clothes she kept in her desk.

A knock sounded on the door. “Danvers. It’s me, can I come in?”

“Of course, babe. Come in.” Maggie had been forced to separate from her for a short time as she shared what she knew about her captors and their organization with her superiors, given that it was classified information.

Maggie entered, closing the door behind her. She didn’t approach her though; simply leaned back against the door, arms crossed over her chest guardedly and eyes never leaving her as she dressed. Her face was strangely blank but the sickening fear swimming below the surface of her eyes betrayed her true emotions. Alex understood that this was Maggie - walls up, and she needed to be careful.

So she dressed slowly and deliberately, flashing her a half smile every now and then, finishing up by lacing her boots. She felt a little like her normal self again, but she was still exhausted and hungry, and craving the safety of her apartment and the warmth of her girlfriend’s skin. And she was still worried about that terror in Maggie’s eyes.

Time to face the music. She walked slowly over to Maggie, stopping a few feet in front of her, giving her some time. At first Maggie stared vacantly back, but the longer their eye contact lasted, the more Alex noticed her eyes beginning to fill with moisture, until at last a choked sob tore from Maggie’s throat.

Immediately Alex was drawing her in, holding her close and whispering words of comfort to her, but they only seemed to make her cry harder. The stress of the last few days, the relief of being home, Maggie’s pain, and the realization of just how much she must mean to her made Alex herself unleash tears that got lost in Maggie’s hair.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, they were both cried out for now. Alex didn’t want to let go, but she needed to look at her. She stepped back a little, Maggie still holding onto her, and Alex bringing her hands up to gently wipe away the remaining traces of tears from the shorter woman’s beautiful face. She had never seen her cry like that.

Suddenly Maggie leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed her fiercely, clutching handfuls of her shirt in her fists. Alex kissed back just as hard, trying to relay to her girlfriend all of her longing and relief and something else she couldn’t quite bring herself to acknowledge yet.

Eventually Alex slowed the kiss with little pecks, and finally leaned back to look at Maggie. She was still looking at her with that fear, like she could disappear any moment, like this was all a dream. She needed to reassure her.

“Maggie,” she said firmly, hands either side of her face, looking directly into her eyes, “I’m here, I’m safe, I’m fine. We’re both fine.”

Maggie shook her head, closing her eyes. She tried to talk but choked a little on leftover tears. She cleared her throat and started again, “But you might not have been Alex, you were –“

Alex cut her off. “But I am, okay? I’m fine and I’m here and I’m with you.”

Maggie opened her eyes again, as if searching for the lie. Finally she sighed and a little of the light Alex knew and loved returned to her face. “I’m really mad at you, Danvers,” she said seriously, but it was offset by the way her hands remained stroking gently across her back.

Alex smiled softly down at her. “I know, baby. Can you be mad at me after we’ve had a shower, a hot meal, and a good twelve hours sleep?”

Her favorite dimples finally made a welcome return. “I guess so. Let’s get you home.” They left the room hand-in-hand, making their way through the DEO. But before they could enter the main lobby, where there would surely be people waiting to send them off and give her a final once-over, Maggie paused. “You certain you’re okay?” Alex figured this wasn’t the last time she would be asked that in the coming hours, maybe days, or even weeks.

“I promise. Now come on, I’m starved, and I think being kidnapped gives me leverage over our take-out choices for at least five years.”

Maggie chuckled. “Pfft. Don’t push it, Danvers. Maybe five days if you’re lucky. You know I can’t go without my precious green chicken curry for longer than that.”

Alex laughed, pulling Maggie into her side as they walked, glad Maggie was able to joke with her. She knew this wasn’t the end of the serious conversations. Far from it. She knew they both had a lot of insecurities and issues they would need to work through together.

But a few hours later, stuffed full to burst, clean and sweet-smelling from their shared shower, with Maggie wrapped around her from behind, holding on like she never wanted to let go, Alex resolved she wouldn’t mind if they worked on their issues together for the rest of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! We’re half way through now. Maybe let me know if you liked a certain part? :)
> 
> Next chapter is called ‘Cling’. 
> 
> Find me on tumblr at [shedrinksthewildair](http://shedrinksthewildair.tumblr.com) and on twitter [@drinkswildair](http://twitter.com/drinkswildair) \- I'd love to talk to you! ♥


	4. Cling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, hope you’re having a good week!
> 
> This chapter is short but (hopefully) sweet :)

Alex was working late, and hating every second of it. She tried to think back on a time when her whole life’s purpose was her work, when she practically slept at the DEO on a nightly basis. She didn’t want to go back to that. Sure, she loved her job, though it was often dangerous and difficult. Not to mention strenuous. But when her girlfriend of four months was currently at Alex’s apartment, probably warm and cozy and asleep in the bed they now shared more often than not, she didn’t exactly have a longing to stay stuck staring at the DEO’s computer monitors at one in the morning.

When she finally made it home it was close to two thirty. She crept in as quietly as she could, slipping off her heavy boots at the entrance. The place was dark except for a light Maggie had left on for her by the door, and across the room the faint glow of the two lamps on either side of her bed. She tip-toed on socked feet over to the raised platform, seeing only a mess of blankets she assumed were hiding her girlfriend. Slipping quickly into the bathroom, she stripped off her work gear - leaving her in just her underwear and tank top, brushed her teeth, and made her way up the few steps to the bed.

A huge smile spread uncontrollably across her face at what she found. Maggie was curled up on Alex’s side of the bed, her pillow clutched tightly in her koala-grip, and face half-covered in thick brown hair. The covers were resting at her hips where Alex assumed she had kicked them off, as she often did on restless nights. Maggie’s gorgeous body was clad in one of Alex’s favourite old college t-shirts, skin glowing golden in the soft light. A book was open next to her, lying face-up on the mattress.

Still smiling, Alex slowly approached the bed, placed the book on the nightstand, flicked off both lamps, and crawled in where Maggie usually slept. Sometimes she still couldn’t believe this was her life; that she had someone to come home to, that she was unfathomably happy, that she had a _girlfriend_ she was pretty certain she was _in love_ with who missed her when she was gone.

Unable to help herself, she propped herself up on one elbow and leaned over Maggie, tenderly brushing the hair back from her face. Alex sucked in a breath at the sight, her girlfriend’s beauty illuminated in the moonlight streaming in through the slit in the curtains. Maggie was still for a second before her nose scrunched up adorably and her breathing stuttered as she awoke.

“Al?” she questioned with her eyes still closed, her voice husky with sleep.

“Yeah, it’s me, baby. Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” Alex murmured, lightly stroking her fingers along Maggie’s cheek, before running them gently through her hair.

Maggie caught Alex’s fingers and kissed them, then turned over with a sleepy sigh. She snuggled closer to Alex’s chest, wrapping her arms tightly around her waist, and breathing in deeply like she was inhaling her scent.

“Mmm…was tryin’ to wait up for you,” Maggie mumbled adorably, voice slurring slightly.

Alex felt immeasurable tenderness rush through her like a hot drink, warming her on the inside. “Shh, I know, beautiful. Go back to sleep.”

“Mmkay.”

Alex reached down and pulled the covers back over Maggie, then smoothly ran her palms up and down her back until her breathing evened out and she was fast asleep once more.

She kissed Maggie affectionately atop her messy hair, being careful not to wake her again, before falling into a deep and blissful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I’d love to know what you thought :)
> 
> Next chapter is a longer one called ‘Treasure’. 
> 
> Find me on tumblr at [shedrinksthewildair](http://shedrinksthewildair.tumblr.com) and on twitter [@drinkswildair](http://twitter.com/drinkswildair) \- I'd love to talk to you! ♥


	5. Treasure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies, this is the longest chapter yet! It’s also one of my favourites, really hope you like :)

“Mmm that smells _so_ good,” groaned Alex as she stepped into Maggie’s kitchen.

Maggie smiled over her shoulder from her position at the stove. “Thank you, I hope you like it, it’s a new recipe.”

Alex came up and wrapped around her from behind, moaning as she caught an even stronger aroma of whatever it was Maggie was making.

Maggie laughed and hit her lightly on the hand with a wooden spoon. “Stop that, or I’ll say screw dinner altogether.”

Alex grinned cheekily. “Don’t give me ideas.” She nibbled playfully on Maggie’s earlobe and whispered in her ear until Maggie got too distracted and banned her from the kitchen with a flirty smack on the ass.

********

Alex was setting up for their movie night when she realized something was missing.  

“Hey Mags, where’s the blanket for the couch?”

“Ask Winn!” Maggie called back. That’s when Alex remembered that they’d had the Superfriends over at Maggie’s a few nights ago, and Winn had ended up spilling soda all over himself and the couch during a fit of laughter.

She shook her head in fond amusement. The blanket must be in the wash. “Do you have a spare?” she called back.

“Check the closet!” Maggie instructed.

So Alex entered the closet in Maggie’s bedroom, finding the stack of folded blankets on the top shelf. As she was trying to pull one down from above her head, the corner of it accidentally caught something she couldn’t see and knocked it off the shelf, landing on the carpet with a soft ‘thump’.

She set the blanket to one side and knelt down to see what she had dropped, praying she hadn’t broken anything of Maggie’s. A fairly small wooden box was lying open on its side, and an array of small objects was spread over the surrounding carpet.

At first Alex had no clue what to make of them, but when she picked up the closest item - what appeared to be a pressed flower - to inspect more closely, a rush of feelings and memories hit her in the chest immediately, stealing her breath.

It was a flower from the table of their first proper date. Maggie had pulled some strings to get them into a restaurant Alex had been dying to check out for months. She remembered the flowers because she had admired them aloud when they had sat down.

_Maggie grins, plucking one from the small vase and leaning over the table to tuck it behind her ear. ‘Beautiful’. She says, looking at her with sparkling eyes. And Alex flushes and marvels at the difference in her feelings had anyone else tried to do that to her, and how pleased she is when Maggie does - her total closet-romantic girlfriend._

Alex couldn’t believe she had kept it. Not just kept it for a few days, but pressed it into wax paper to keep for likely a very long time. Alex set the flower down to one side, and with a shaking hand, reached for the next object.

Item after item she looked through, each bringing with it its own potent memory:

     - There was the charades scorecard from the night Maggie had been officially introduced to the group, when she had been so worried but had ultimately formed the foundation for several close and meaningful friendships.

_Alex was overjoyed to have Maggie on her team for charades; they barrelled through the game effortlessly thanks - in no small part - to their ability to understand and read each other. Once they are declared the winners by a pouting Kara, Alex tugs Maggie to her and spins her around in unabashed joy. She had never been so excited over a silly game before. But Maggie seems to make everything feel wonderful._

_‘Alex + Maggie’_ is written at the top of the scorecard in Kara’s obnoxiously pink pen ink.

     - There’s a printed copy of the photo they took in bed together the morning after Maggie had stayed the night for the first time.

_Maggie laughs and shoves Alex’s phone away from her face. “Babe, no, I look terrible!”_

_Alex scoffs. “Terribly gorgeous. This is a Very Important Moment, Maggie. It must be documented.”_

_Maggie is too busy laughing at her dorky girlfriend to notice the second attempt at taking the selfie, this one successful._

_The moment captured forever: Maggie – laughing with her eyes closed and face scrunched up adorably, dimples on full display, hair a tangled mess on the pillow, and shoulders bare and glowing in the early light. Alex – twinkling eyes solely on Maggie, grinning giddily, peace and happiness she had previously never known radiating from every pore._

On the back of the print were two words written in Maggie’s messy scrawl: _‘Hello Sunshine’._

     - Lining the bottom of the box was the wrapping paper that had enclosed the first gift Alex had given Maggie. Alex remembered painstakingly going through aisle after aisle searching for the perfect kind to wrap it in. She had settled on a tongue-in-cheek variety - little printed handcuffs that had made Maggie roll her eyes and giggle and look at her like she was the cutest thing she’d ever laid eyes on.  

     - There were the movie ticket stubs from the open-air theatre they had decided to try. Alex couldn’t even remember what happened in the movie, having spent more time making out under a blanket with her girlfriend than watching the film.

     - She finds the silly photo booth pictures from the carnival they had attended with the rest of the group, everyone squeezing into the tiny cubicle and pulling faces, Maggie pressing sticky cotton candy kisses to her lips, laughing until their cheeks hurt.

     - Sticky-notes Alex had left for Maggie throughout both of their apartments, in all sorts of clever places, for all sorts of reasons. She’d had no idea they’d ended up anywhere but the trash.

     - A business card from the bed and breakfast they’d stayed at for a few nights to get out of the city – their first holiday together. They’d revelled in the time spent in their own little happy bubble. Alex runs her thumb over the dates of their trip – written on the back in Maggie’s scribble.

     - The sprig of mistletoe - from their first Christmas - that Kara had been holding over unsuspecting pairs of partygoers while ‘encouraging’ them to kiss. Neither of them had complained.

     - Maggie had even kept the pizza receipt from the night she’d shown up at her door and they’d started this whole crazy-wonderful journey.

Alex didn’t even realize she was crying until a tear landed on the carpet next to the receipt. She quickly wiped her face so none could fall on any of the priceless keepsakes. Just then she heard footsteps in the hall and Maggie stepped into the room.

“Hey Al -” Her voice choked off and her eyes widened in shock which quickly merged to embarrassment and worry. “Shit.” She ran a hand through her hair and avoided eye contact.

Alex suddenly realized what she had done. She had been so caught up in the precious memories she hadn’t even considered that there was no way she should be going through her girlfriend’s private things without permission. She was instantly ashamed.

“Oh God, Maggie. I’m…I’m sorry, I accidentally knocked the box down…But then I didn’t…I shouldn’t have gone through your stuff. I’m so sorry.”

Maggie sighed and sat down beside Alex. “No, you shouldn’t have, but they are kind of your things too. Besides, it was an accident.”

Alex swallowed. “Yeah I…when did you…how…?” She tried to get her brain to work properly and her heart to calm down, but she hadn’t even processed what this meant yet.

Maggie smiled gently at her and took her hand in one of her own, playing with her fingers as she waited for Alex to collect herself.

Finally Alex felt slightly more coherent. “How long have you been doing this?”

Maggie bit her lip. “Since the night I brought over pizza the first time, the receipt is the earliest thing I have.” Maggie had been keeping things from their very first night as a couple. Before they were even official. Alex was overwhelmed. She knew what her next question had to be though.

“Why didn’t you ever mention it to me?” She wasn’t accusing her; Maggie had every right to her privacy, she was just curious as to why she wouldn’t tell her about this.

Maggie ran her thumb over the back of her hand soothingly. “I didn’t wanna put any pressure on you…I knew this was all so new to you. I wanted you to be able to take your time.”

Alex was completely stunned. In awe. Still trying to wrap her mind around how she managed to end up with the sweetest woman in the world.

“Do you...think it’s creepy or something? Are you upset?” The worry in Maggie’s voice finally knocked some sense into her.

“No! I’m just…no one’s ever…” And she launched herself at Maggie, landing her flat on her back on the floor and clutching her in a tight embrace.

Maggie stroked calming hands down her back and hair as Alex felt the tears return.

Alex heard a quiet, “Oh, sweetheart,” and then she was crying harder.

When she’d calmed down a little, Alex propped herself up on her elbows over Maggie so she wasn’t squashing her.

Maggie looked up at Alex’s face hovering over hers and stroked fingertips delicately along Alex’s forehead, down her nose, across her cheekbones, her lips – mapping her face reverently as if to preserve it forever in her memories, too.

“You know I’ve never done this with anyone else.” Maggie whispered.

“What?” Alex whispered back.

“Never been in this deep. This is the first time I’ve ever kept anything purposely from any relationship I’ve ever been in. It’s different with you, Al. I didn’t want to put pressure on you, but now that you know, you should know everything. And that means you should know how much you mean to me, how special you are. I never ever want to forget anything about you, or about us together.”

Alex’s face twisted with emotion into a strange mix of a smile and a grimace.

“Maggie, I’m going to cry again,” she warned. She was only half joking.

Maggie chuckled, “Don’t worry, me too.”

“Hey maybe…” Alex started, before shaking her head.

“Hmm?”

“Nah, never mind, it’s dumb.”

“No, please, tell me. I promise I won’t think it’s dumb,” Maggie reassured her.

It was Alex’s turn to bite her lip. “Well, I mean, you can say no, okay? But I just had this thought that maybe I could put things in there too? Like we could both put things in there from our relationship to keep? But that’s probably really stupid, so just say no if you want. I don’t want to like take over your private space or anything. I just thought…mmmph.” Maggie cut her off with a fierce kiss, flipping her over onto her back.

When they finally paused minutes later to pant for breath, Alex smiled wide and said, “I’m taking that as a yes.”

Together, they filled the box until it overflowed.

Then they bought a bigger box.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I’d love any feedback :) 
> 
> Also, we’ve now reached the end of ‘Maggie shows Alex she loves her’. Next (final) chapter will be Maggie telling her! Appropriately, it’s titled ‘Speak’.
> 
> Find me on tumblr at [shedrinksthewildair](http://shedrinksthewildair.tumblr.com) and on twitter [@drinkswildair](http://twitter.com/drinkswildair) \- I'd love to talk to you! ♥


	6. Speak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright my loves, final chapter! Enjoy :)

Last night was the fourth in a row Maggie had stayed over, and Alex was angling for a fifth.

“Please, please, please?” Alex displayed her puppy eyes.

“You know I wanna stay Danvers, but I have no clean clothes left.”

“So wear mine!”

Maggie shrugged. “Okay.”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “Wow, you gave in pretty easily.”

Maggie put her hands on her hips. “You calling me easy, Danvers?”

“Well, all I’m saying is you could’ve made me work a little harder for it,” she said with a mischievous grin.

“Oh I’ll make you work hard for it alright! Come here!” And Maggie chased her giggling girlfriend around the apartment.

********

After a lengthy and exhausting tickle fight-turned-heated make out session, the pair was in Alex’s small bathroom, brushing their teeth side-by-side before bed.

Alex still got butterflies whenever she noticed Maggie’s toothbrush in the holder next to hers. It symbolized something much larger than she could even comprehend yet.

Alex was still in a playful mood, and she decided to try to gross her girlfriend out a little. Once she had brushed her teeth for long enough that some foam was spilling past her lips, she quickly leaned over and kissed her girlfriend smack-dab on her cheek, leaving a small white patch.

Maggie shrieked indignantly and wiped at her face, glaring at her. Alex was laughing as much as she could with a mouth full of minty paste and water. Mission accomplished. But her triumph was short-lived; when she leaned over the sink to rinse her mouth a bit, Maggie got her right back with a kiss on the back of her neck.

Alex gave a muffled yelp with her lips pressed firmly shut, and swiped at her neck. Soon there was an all-out toothpaste war going down, both women ending up with suds all over from messy kisses to cheeks and noses, foreheads and necks, arms and shoulders. Finally, Maggie held her hands up in a ‘surrender’ gesture.

Alex nodded in agreement, and then tapped a finger to her lips in an indication for a kiss. Maggie scrunched up her face like the thought of joining their soapy lips was a little gross, but Alex raised a challenging eyebrow as if daring her.

So Maggie leaned in, clearly aiming for a quick peck to appease her, but once their lips connected, Alex grasped her hips and kept her in place when she tried to pull back. Maggie squealed in supressed laughter, wriggling in her arms, finally managing to squirm away.

Maggie crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head in amusement at her, toothbrush sticking out of her mouth adorably and face growing soft. She smiled sweetly at Alex. “I lub ooo.”

Her eyes widened as she realised what she’d done, and Alex began choking on some toothpaste she accidentally inhaled at Maggie’s obscured words. Her mind was racing, wondering if she’d heard right.

Simultaneously deciding it was way past time for them to rinse their mouths, they did so in silence, before moving on to cleaning the rest of their sticky skin until no trace of toothpaste remained. The silence giving them both time to gather their thoughts and prepare for the conversation ahead.

When they were both clean and dry, Alex leant against the wall and Maggie the counter. “So…what were you trying to say before?” Alex asked timidly, playing with her hands.

Maggie swallowed thickly and walked a few paces away, ran a hand through her hair. “Um. I…” She sighed, squared her shoulders and looked Alex directly in the eye.

“Alex, I love you. Being with you…being with you makes me feel things I’ve never felt. I used to think I’d been in love before, but then I met you. And I realized what love could really feel like. You taught me, Al.” Maggie’s eyes were filled with tears and she looked the most vulnerable Alex had ever seen her. “So yes, I love you, Alex Danvers. So, so much. I’m in love with you.”

Alex’s eyes were also wet. “You are?”

Maggie smiled warmly at her, “I am.”

Alex’s smile stretched across her face and she rushed to throw herself around Maggie, squeezing her tight and spinning her around. Then she set her down, leaned back in her arms and said the words that had been crawling up her throat trying to escape for months now. “And I love you, Maggie Sawyer.”

Maggie smiled so hard a tear overflowed and settled into one of her perfect dimples. Alex giggled and kissed it away, before pressing kisses all over her face in unbridled happiness and affection and devotion and _love_.

Maggie simply laughed and let her, clutching onto the front of her shirt to keep herself steady.

When Alex had had her fill for now, she pressed her forehead reverently to Maggie’s and basked in their new confessions, in the intimacy she adored.

“I’ve been wanting to say that for so long,” whispered Maggie.

Alex grinned. “So have I. Gotta say though, never pictured you saying it for the first time through a mouthful of toothpaste.”

Maggie groaned and shoved her lightly. “You’re never gonna let me live that down, are you?”

“Probably not, no.”

Maggie couldn’t for the life of her pretend to care.

********

_One and a half years later_

Maggie and Alex were preparing for bed in their joint apartment, Alex standing behind her girlfriend with one arm wrapped around her tummy, chin propped on her shoulder as they brushed their teeth together.

“Magguh,” Alex hummed through a mouthful of toothpaste.

Maggie caught her eyes in the mirror and raised a knowing eyebrow. “Hmm?”

“I lub ooo.” Alex smiled around her toothbrush.

Maggie immediately returned it, “I lub ooo coo.”

It had turned into a running joke of sorts, and a little ritual between them. Whenever one of them brushed their teeth around the other, they would attempt an ‘I love you.’ On the rare occasion they were apart, even going so far as to send video proof of the garbled effort.

Tonight was different though.

Alex tried to calm her rapid-fire heart to no avail. “Magguh.”

“Hmm?”

Alex was careful to speak as slowly and clearly as possible under the current circumstances. She had to get this just right. “Wool…ooo…mawwy…meh?”

It was Maggie’s turn to choke. She quickly rinsed her mouth, eyeing Alex in the mirror the entire time.

When she was done, she turned around and asked carefully, “What did you say?”

Alex held up a finger in a request for her to wait a minute, and quickly washed up. When she was done she faced her girlfriend who was watching her impassively. Alex reached up and placed a hand over her racing heart, the other coming up to shakily latch onto her own wrist.

“I said…will you marry me?”

Maggie was silent for a moment before a breadth of feeling rushed into her eyes. “Serious?”

“Yes Maggie, I’m serious. I love you so much. I never thought…I never thought that I would get to have this. I never even knew it could _be_ like this. That I could be so happy. And I never want it to end. So, will you be my wife?” Alex held her breath…which meant the adoring kiss that followed Maggie launching herself into her arms literally took her breath away.

When they finally parted before Alex could pass out on the tiles, Alex couldn’t help herself. “So you’re saying you want to marry me? That’s...what I got.”

Maggie’s grin lit up her entire face. “Of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End ♥
> 
> This has been an amazing first experience at fanfic, much better than I expected, so thanks so much to everyone who read/left kudos/commented :)
> 
> I’ll definitely have to try my hand at it again soon.
> 
> I’ll love you forever if you tell me what you thought of the final chapter/the fic as a whole! 
> 
> As always, feel free to come find me on tumblr at [shedrinksthewildair](http://shedrinksthewildair.tumblr.com) and on twitter [@drinkswildair](http://twitter.com/drinkswildair) \- I'd love to talk to you! ♥


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